Bookbinding apparatus and bookbinding system

Abstract

A binding apparatus which can meet user requests and adapt to usage conditions by a user. An adhesive is heated and melted, and then applied to a sheet bundle to bind the sheet bundle. One of the following modes is selected: a first adhesive temperature adjusting mode in which the adhesive is heated when power supply to the bookbinding apparatus is turned on, and a second adhesive temperature adjusting mode in which the adhesive is heated when binding of the sheet bundle is started.

1. A bookbinding apparatus connectable to an image forming apparatus, the bookbinding apparatus comprising:
 a heating unit configured to heat an adhesive; 
 a bookbinding unit configured to bind a sheet bundle with the adhesive melted by said heating unit; 
 a temperature detecting unit configured to detect a temperature of the adhesive; 
 a receiving unit configured to receive an instruction from the image forming apparatus to cause said bookbinding unit to bind the sheet bundle; 
 a selection unit configured to allow a manual selection of one of a first adhesive temperature adjusting mode in which said heating unit heats the adhesive based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting unit in response to turning on power supply to the bookbinding apparatus even if said receiving unit does not receive the instruction or a second adhesive temperature adjusting mode in which said heating unit heats the adhesive based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting unit in response to receiving the instruction; 
 a control unit configured to control said heating unit to heat the adhesive based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting unit, 
 wherein said control unit controls said heating unit to switch to a low power consumption mode in response to a power mode of the image forming apparatus when the first adhesive temperature adjusting mode is selected, and 
 wherein said control unit controls said heating unit to switch to the low power consumption mode in response to finishing binding the sheet bundle by said bookbinding unit when the second adhesive temperature adjusting mode is selected. 
 
     
     
       2. A bookbinding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said bookbinding unit applies the adhesive to one side edge of the sheet bundle and bonds a sheet that covers most of the top and bottom faces of the sheet bundle to the one side edge of the sheet bundle to which the adhesive has been applied, to bind the sheet bundle. 
     
     
       3. A bookbinding system comprising:
 an image forming apparatus and a bookbinding apparatus, 
 wherein said bookbinding apparatus comprises:
 a sheet stacking unit configured to sequentially receive sheets on which images have been formed by said image forming apparatus and stack the sheets; 
 a heating unit configured to heat an adhesive; 
 a temperature detecting unit configured to detect a temperature of the adhesive; 
 a bookbinding unit configured to bind a sheet bundle comprising a plurality of sheets stacked on said stacking unit with the adhesive melted by said heating unit; 
 a receiving unit configured to receive an instruction from the image forming apparatus to cause said bookbinding unit to bind the sheet bundle; and 
 a control unit configured to control said heating unit to heat the adhesive based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting unit, and 
 
 wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:
 an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet; and 
 a selection unit configured to allow a manually selection of one of a first adhesive temperature adjusting mode in which said heating unit heats the adhesive in response to turning on power supply to said bookbinding apparatus even if said receiving unit does not receive the instruction or a second adhesive temperature adjusting mode in which said heating unit heats the adhesive in response to receiving the instruction, and 
 
 wherein said control unit controls said heating unit to switch to a low power consumption mode in response to a power mode of the image forming apparatus when the first adhesive temperature adjusting mode is selected, and 
 wherein said control unit controls said heating unit to switch to the low power consumption mode in response to finishing binding the sheet bundle by said bookbinding unit when the second adhesive temperature adjusting mode is selected. 
 
     
     
       4. A bookbinding system according to  claim 3 , wherein said bookbinding unit applies the adhesive to one side edge of the sheet bundle and bonds a sheet that covers most of the top and bottom faces of the sheet bundle to the one side edge of the sheet bundle to which the adhesive has been applied, to bind the sheet bundle. 
     
     
       5. A bookbinding apparatus connectable to an image forming apparatus, the bookbinding apparatus comprising:
 a heating unit configured to heat an adhesive; 
 a bookbinding unit configured to bind a sheet bundle with the adhesive melted by said heating unit; 
 a temperature detecting unit configured to detect a temperature of the adhesive; 
 a receiving unit configured to receive an instruction from the image forming apparatus to cause said bookbinding unit to bind the sheet bundle; 
 a selection unit configured to allow a manual selection of one of a first adhesive temperature adjusting mode in which said heating unit heats the adhesive in response to turning on power supply to the bookbinding apparatus or a second adhesive temperature adjusting mode in which said heating unit heats the adhesive in response to receiving the instruction; and 
 a control unit configured to control:
 said heating unit based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting unit, when the first adhesive temperature adjusting mode is selected, to start heating the adhesive in response to turning on the power supply to the bookbinding apparatus and to maintain heating the adhesive even after finishing binding the sheet bundle, and 
 said heating unit based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting unit, when the second adhesive temperature adjusting mode is selected, to start heating the adhesive in response to receiving the instruction and to finish heating the adhesive after finishing binding the sheet bundle. 
 
 
     
     
       6. A bookbinding system comprising:
 an image forming apparatus; and 
 a bookbinding apparatus comprising:
 a sheet stacking unit configured to sequentially receive sheets on which images have been formed by said image forming apparatus and stack the sheets; 
 a heating unit configured to heat an adhesive; 
 a bookbinding unit configured to bind a sheet bundle comprising a plurality of sheets stacked on said sheet stacking unit with the adhesive melted by said heating unit; 
 a temperature detecting unit configured to detect a temperature of the adhesive; and 
 a receiving unit configured to receive an instruction from said image forming apparatus to cause said bookbinding unit to bind the sheet bundle, 
 
 wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:
 an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet; and 
 a selection unit configured to allow a manual selection of one of a first adhesive temperature adjusting mode in which said heating unit heats the adhesive based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting unit in response to turning on power supply to said bookbinding apparatus or a second adhesive temperature adjusting mode in which said heating unit heats the adhesive based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting unit in response to receiving the instruction, and 
 
 wherein said bookbinding apparatus further comprises a control unit configured to control:
 said heating unit based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting unit, when the first adhesive temperature adjusting mode is selected, to start heating the adhesive in response to turning on the power supply to said bookbinding apparatus and to maintain heating the adhesive even after finishing binding the sheet bundle, and 
 said heating unit based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting unit, when the second adhesive temperature adjusting mode is selected, to start heating the adhesive in response to receiving the instruction and to finish heating the adhesive after finishing binding the sheet bundle.